2002 Subaru WRX Engine Problems

FUEL RAIL ON 2002 WRX IS LEAKING HEAVILY ON THE ENGINE. THIS IS A HIGH FIRE HAZARD AS WELL AS NOXIOUS FOR PASSENGERS IN THE CAR AS IT SMELLS HEAVILY OF FUEL. SINCE I LIVE IN WASHINGTON STATE SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS NOT HONORED THE RECALL THEY'VE PUT IN OTHER STATES FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. SUBARU HAS DENIED WARRANTY REPAIR DUE TO THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRING FOR THIS ISSUE IN 2013. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR AND HAVE TAKEN IT IN FOR EVERY OTHER RECALL ISSUE THAT I'VE BEEN NOTIFIED OF. THIS IS RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS. THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP HAS SAID THEY DON'T THINK IT IS CORRECT TO CHARGE ME FOR LABOR AND PARTS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BY SUBARU AND HAVE DIRECTED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP ASKED ME TO GET AUTHORIZATION FROM SUBARU, WHICH WAS DENIED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. IT IS A BONE STOCK CAR WITH NO AFTERMARKETS PARTS OR ENHANCEMENTS.

NHTSA ID

10935043

Incident

Dec 9, 2016

Mileage

177,000 mi

WORKING NIGHT SHIFTS, STARTED MY CAR TO LET WARM UP, TEMPERATURE WAS 43 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AT THE TIME. AFTER START UP I COULD SMELL RAW FUEL OUT SIDE THE CAR AS WELL AS INSIDE THE CAR THROUGH THE VENTS. ALSO GAS MILEAGE HAS GONE DOWN BY DRASTICALLY, NORMALLY GET 300-330 MILES A TANK AND CURRENTLY GETTING BARLEY 200. NOTICED CAR STARTING TO SMOKE A LITTLE AS WELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD, NO FIRE BUT NOT GOING TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10578785

Incident

Apr 6, 2014

Mileage

126,000 mi

IN REGARDS TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE04002 I HAVE A 2002 SUBARU WRX WITH 34000 MILES AND LIVE IN HOUSTON, TX. I FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEM WHEN VISITING MY FAMILY IN FT. WORTH SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT WAS NOT VERY COLD, BUT THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND. I STARTED THE CAR AND TURNED ON THE HEATER TO LET CAR WARM UP. WHEN I RETURNED ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER, I DETECTED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE BEFORE GETTING IN. THE FUMES INSIDE WERE UNBEARABLE AND I HAD TO AIR OUT THE CAR BEFORE DRIVING, BUT THE ORDER PERSISTED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. I LEFT FOR HOUSTON THAT EVENING AND THOUGHT THE FUMES WERE JUST A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE. LAST NIGHT I VISITED A FRIEND FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS. IT RARELY GETS VERY COLD IN HOUSTON, BUT AT 9 P.M. LAST NIGHT WHEN I LEFT THE TEMPERATURE WAS PROBABLY JUST A LITTLE ABOVE FREEZING. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR ALL APPEARED NORMAL, BUT WHEN I TURNED ON THE HEATER, THE SMELL OF GAS WAS OVERWHELMING. I AIRED OUT THE CAR WHILE DRIVING, BUT THE GOT THE SAME RESULT EVERY TIME I TRIED TO USE THE HEATER. THE CAR REEKED OF RAW GASOLINE WHEN I PARKED IT AFTER THE 1.5 MILE DRIVE HOME. I GOT ON-LINE AFTER I GOT HOME AND FOUND OUT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT AND THAT TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED. I ALSO SAW YOUR ACTION AND BELIEVE SUBARU OF AMERICA MAY HAVE GIVEN YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT THE DEFECT IS THE RESULT OF "VERY COLD CONDITIONS." FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN ON THE INTERNET, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT TO BE THE CASE. HTTP://FORUMS.NASIOC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=675874&HIGHLIGHT=FUEL+LEAK HTTP://WWW.WRXFORUM.COM/CGI-BIN/ULTIMATEBB.CGI?UBB=PRINT_TOPIC;F=3;T=008039 HTTP://WWW.DAYTONSUBIES.COM/FORUMS/INDEX.PHP?ACT=ST&F=3&T=185 HTTP://64.119.173.9/FORUMS/PRINTTHREAD.PHP?T=81610 HTTP://CLUBWRX.NET/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=48256 ANYWAY, I BELIEVE RAW GASOLINE LEAKING ONTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE IN THE QUANTITIES THAT WOULD CAUSE THAT STRONG OF ODOR HAS TO CREATE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD; AND THAT IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN SOA HAS ADMITTED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10144860

Incident

Dec 8, 2005

Mileage

22,000 mi

RAW FUEL SMELL IN COLD WEATHER; SUBARU TSB 09-36-03, ISSUE DATE 04/01/03 SEVERE RAW FUEL SMELL AND FUMES IN CABIN. ENGINE IS LEAKING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF FUEL. *NM

NHTSA ID

10143101

Incident

Nov 17, 2005

Mileage

30,000 mi

ODOR OF GASOLINE IN PASSENGER CABIN CAUSED BY LEAKING FUEL LINE. FUMES CAUSING DRIVER DIZZINESS AND HEADACHES. SUBARU REPAIRED THE LEAK BY TIGHTENING A FUEL LINE CONNECTION. THE PROBLEM RETURNED AND SUBARU CAN NOT LOCATE SOURCE OF FUEL ODOR.*AK

NHTSA ID

10112041

Incident

Feb 1, 2005

Mileage

13,000 mi

ONLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES THERE IS A SMELL OF FUMES. GAS VAPORS ARE COMING FROM THE ENGINE INTO THE VEHICLE. NO RECALLS FOUND.*AK

NHTSA ID

10107034

Incident

Dec 22, 2004

Mileage

50,000 mi

I DRIVE A 2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX. A WEEK AND A HALF AGO WE HAD TEMPS BELOW ZERO. WHILE DRIVING I NOTICED VERY STRONG GAS SMELLS COMING THROUGH THE VENTS WHILE USING THE DEFROST. AFTER SOME ONLINE INVESTIGATION I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES FOR ANYONE LIVING IN A COLDER CLIMATE. I BELIVE THE PROBLEM HAS TO DO WITH THE FITTINGS THAT ATTATCH THE METAL FUEL LINES TO THE FLEXIBLE HOSES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. IN COLD WEATHER THESE FAIL, SPILLING GASOLINE ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK. NOW THE PROBLEM IS MORE COMMON, EVEN ON COOL, BUT NOT COLD DAYS. I UNDERSTAND THAT SUBARU IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS EVEN ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERSHIPS ADVISING THEM OF THE FIX FOR THIS (WHICH IS VERY EXPENSIVE). HOWEVER, IT SHOULD NOT BE THE CONSUMERS RESPONSIBLITY TO PAY FOR A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FIX THAT IS COMMON ON THESE CARS. STRONG GAS FUMES IN THE PASSANGER COMPARTMENT AND GASOLINE SPILLING ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK SHOULD CONSTITUTE ENOUGH OF A SAFETY HAZARD TO JUSTIFY A RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

10104769

Incident

Dec 20, 2004

Mileage

63,176 mi

FUEL LEAKS WHEN STARTING MY CAR (02 SUBARU WRX) IN COLD WEATHER. STRONG FUMES WOULD ENTER THE CABIN THROUGH HEAT VENT CAUSING NAUSEA. *JB

NHTSA ID

10104289

Incident

Dec 20, 2004

Mileage

29,183 mi

THERE IS A PUDDLE OF GAS THAT FORMS ON TOP OF THE ENGINE IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER. CONSUMER CAN SMELL GAS FUMES IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10068656

VEHICLE: SUBARU IMPREZA WRX 2002. FUEL SMELL NOTICEABLE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND PASSENGER CABIN IN COLD WEATHER. SMELL MOST NOTICEABLE IN PASSENGER CABIN WHEN VENTS ARE OPEN TO OUTSIDE AIR AND HEATER/FAN IS ON. SMELL BECAME NOTICEABLE IN DECEMBER AND HAS PERSISTED. IT IS CURRENTLY FEBRUARY 16TH AS I FILE THIS REPORT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10058235

Incident

Feb 16, 2004

Mileage

37,000 mi

THERE IS A SMELL OF GAS ON MY 2002 WRX FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER I START THE CAR. I'VE READ ON SOME INTERNET FORUMS THAT THERE MAY BE AN INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN ONE OF THE GAS HOSES AND THE GAS RAILS. THE SMELL SEEMS WORST WHEN IT IS COLD OUT. IT IS VERY NOTICABLE WHEN I HAVE OUTSIDE AIR VENTING ENABLED. IT SEEMS ODD THAT I WOULD EVER SMELL GASOLINE AND FEAR THIS MAY BE DANGEROUS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10054701

Incident

Dec 15, 2003

RAW FUEL ODOR FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT JUST AFTER STARTING CAR. ODOR GOES AWAY AFTER CAR HAS WARMED UP. OCCURS IN COLD WEATHER, USUALLY WHEN TEMPERATURE IS LESS THAN 20 DEGREES. HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY OCCURRING SINCE JANUARY 2003. DEALER TIGHTENED SOME CLAMPS ON 2003, BUT PROBLEM STILL OCCURS NOW THAT WEATHER IS COLD AGAIN. RAW FUEL ODOR IS VERY STRONG WHEN CAR SITS OUT IN WEATHER BELOW 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

NHTSA ID

10052920

Incident

Jan 5, 2004

Mileage

20,000 mi

THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LEAKING OF RAW GASOLINE, FROM UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THIS PROBLEM EXHIBITS ITSELF WHEN THE TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING. IT IS VERY EVIDENT IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AS YOU CAN SMELL THE GASOLINE. THE GASOLINE IS VISIBLY PADDLING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE BLOCK, WHERE TWO FUEL LINE RUN BELOW THE TURBO INLET PIPE. IN MY OPINION, THIS POSES A RATHER SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. LEAKING GASOLINE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD EASILY LEAD TO A DANGEROUS FIRE. I HAVE READ DOZENS AND DOZENS OF SIMILAR REPORTS BY SUBARU IMPREZA OWNERS. I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE GET HURT OVER SOMETHING THAT COULD EASILY BE FIXED. THANKS IN ADVANCE. MICHAEL MOORE *LA

NHTSA ID

10052643

Incident

Jan 5, 2004

Mileage

42,000 mi

CABIN OF CAR SMELLS OF GASOLINE. FUEL LINES NEED TO BE REPLACED ON EARLY MODELS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10051534

Incident

Feb 17, 2002

GASOLINE AND EXHAUST SMELL IN CABIN DURING COLD WEATHER; HAS OCCURED SINCE VEHICLE WAS NEW; SUBARU DEALER CLAIMS THEY CAN'T SMELL IT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10049720

Incident

Dec 12, 2003

Mileage

30,000 mi

TEMPERATURE GAUGE FLUCTUATED WILDLY WHILE DRIVING, AND CONSUMER FELT THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND WAS GIVEN BACK TO THE CONSUMER, DEALER CLAIMED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10040410

Incident

Sep 3, 2003

Mileage

29,500 mi

STRONG RAW FUEL ODOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE IN EXTREME COLD WEATHER (-10F AND BELOW). SMELL IS PRESENT WHEN VEHICLE IS IDLING, GOES AWAY WHEN ON THE MOVE. ENGINE HOT OR COLD MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. ONCE EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE INCREASES, PROBLEM GOES AWAY. MENTIONED TO DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE -IT WASN'T VERY COLD OUTSIDE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10014374

Incident

Feb 14, 2002

Mileage

17,000 mi

EXHAUST SYSTEM OVERHEATS, CAUSING CARPETING INSIDE PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT TO GET VERY HOT AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. ALSO, DUE TO VEHICLE OVERHEATING METAL HAS TURNED INTO A CHERRY COLOR. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER; DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

895023

Incident

Apr 20, 2001